Meniscal Tears

Inside your knee are two menisci made of cartilage that help to disperse forces in the knee. A meniscus can be torn with both trauma and degeneration. Traumatic injuries often are related to sports injuries and are common following injuries with a twisting motion through the leg when the leg is planted on the ground. These injuries are commonly seen with soccer players, runners, tennis players, football players, gymnasts, etc. Different parts of the meniscus can tear in different ways, and your treatment may depend on location as well as size of the tear. Some tears need to be surgically repaired while others do not. In addition, sometimes the tears are severe enough that part or the entirety of the meniscus needs to be surgically removed.

SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS:

• Feelings of instability
• Weakness
• Buckling
• Painful clicking
• Pain which often worsens with loading the knee as with squatting or moving the knee to its end range of straightening or bending

HOW CAN PHYSICAL THERAPY HELP?

For some individuals, conservative treatment is all that is needed to reduce pain, restore range of motion, improve knee stability, and increase strength. For others, surgery is needed followed by post-operative physical therapy following a protocol. Your therapist will guide you through restrictions as you recover from surgery and help you with pain control, reducing swelling, increasing range of motion, improving balance, normalizing movements, and restoring strength in order to get you back to your prior level of function. Your therapist will provide you with a progressive home exercise program to ensure full recovery.